Koko Pimentel: Cusi still expelled despite being elected as PDP-Laban president

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi is still expelled even after being installed as president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan's (PDP-Laban), Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said Sunday.

Pacquiao's faction earlier kicked out Cusi as vice chairman and Melvin Matibag as deputy secretary-general for allegedly breaching the party constitution. 

But Cusi's faction turned the tables in a national assembly held on Saturday in Clark, Pampanga after they removed Pacquiao from his post and made Cusi as the new party president. 

"Actually, sa mata ng PDP-Laban headquarters, expelled na si Secretary Cusi (In the eyes of PDP-Laban headquarters, Cusi is expelled) because of acts inimical to the best interest of the party, disloyalty to the party," said Pimentel over Super Radyo dzBB.

Asked about the election of new party officials, the senator said: "All of these are unauthorized. It should not affect the existing PDP-Laban structure."

GMA News Online has asked Cusi for comment but has yet to receive a reply.

Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, in a separate interview on Dobol B TV on Sunday however, said the PDP-Laban national assembly held Saturday in Clark and led by Cusi is compliant with the party's constitution. Avisado is a member of the PDP-Laban Council of Elders.

Meanwhile, Pimentel said they will have their own national assembly next month. 

He said they will reorganize their party members "if they need to." They will also assess the meeting if there is a need to formalize the nomination of party candidates.

Avisado on the other hand said there will be a national convention among PDP-Laban members in September amid the Pacquiao-led group's plan to organize a national assembly in the same month.

'Allow Duterte to focus on country's issues'

Pimentel also said the PDP-Laban should allow President Rodrigo Duterte to focus on the pandemic response and other problems in the Philippines.

"Si Presidente, sa dami ng problema ng bansa, let us allow him to concentrate na sa daming ng  problema ng bansa. 'Yung problema ng parties, tama 'yun. Iwan niyo sa amin 'yun. Kami na mag-sort out nito," he added.

(Let us allow the President to address the growing problems of the country. Leave the party issues with us. We will sort it out.)

Pimentel also said he has no message to Duterte regarding the latter's attendance in the July 17 PDP-Laban meeting led by Cusi, wherein new officers of the party were also installed. Pimentel and Pacquiao's group has since called the meeting illegal.

He also maintained that the meeting is still unlawful even as Duterte who is also PDP-Laban chairman, led the oath-taking of the new officials.

"Wala sa konstitusyon na 'yung presence ng party chairman legitimizes everything. Wala doon. Ang importante is agenda is coordinated with the party president," the senator said.

(There is nothing in the PDP-Laban constitution that says the presence of the party chairman legitimizes everything. What is important is that the agenda is coordinated with the party president.)

Those who attended the "illegal" meeting will not be punished as only the mastermind of the meeting, Cusi, will face sanctions, said Pimentel.

"Hindi mo naman pina-punish for taking sides (You don't punish them just because they are taking sides). You don't punish people just because na-convince sila (they were convinced)," said Pimentel.

Duterte said Pimentel mismanaged the ruling party by naming Pacquiao as acting party president. The Chief Executive further said Pacquiao does not have his own mind. —KG, GMA News